Janti TjongThank you Mevlut, We had a wonderful time in Turkey. For the time management and the punctual pick - up time and bringing us from places to places safely. And we can call his phone any time .Eventhough, I think , the weather is quite hot , I think turkey is beautiful because of the natural scenery ...

Van is a city in eastern Turkey, between Lake Van and the Iranian border.

Van area was the center of the Urartian Kingdom. With the Seljuq victory at the Battle of Malazgirt in 1071, just north of Lake Van , it became a part of Seljuk Empire and later the Ottoman Empire.

Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic (having no outlet). The original outlet from the basin was blocked by an ancient volcanic eruption. Although Lake Van is situated at an altitude of 1,640 m (5,380 ft) with harsh winters, it does not freeze due to its high salinity except occasionally the shallow northern section.

Ahtamara Church: The origin and meaning of the island's name is based on an old Armenian legend. According to the tale, an Armenian princess named Tamar lived on the island and was in love with a commoner. This boy would swim from the mainland to the island each night, guided by a light she lit for him. Her father learned of the boy's visits. One night, as she waited for her lover to arrive, he smashed her light, leaving the boy in the middle of the lake without a guide to indicate which direction to swim. His body washed ashore and, as the legend concludes, it appeared as if the words "Akh, Tamar" (Oh, Tamar) were frozen on his lips. The legend was the inspiration for a famous Armenian poem by Hovhannes Tumanyan.